Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
by aussiebabe290
Summary: PREQUEL to A DIFFERENT KIND OF FAIRYTALE. He was the aca-boy. She was the aca-girl. Sophomores at Barden University, they were building an aca-life together, only sometimes life took a different turn.
1. Chapter 1

"HEY MILLION DOLLAR BABY!"

The holler across the quadrangle of Barden University, a week before classes started, made Beca Mitchell roll her eyes. But then she grinned, and began trotting just a little faster across the concrete. And before she knew it she was jogging a little, as Jesse sprinted towards her.

He caught her in his arms, swinging her around and making her shriek, before she smashed her lips against his, something she had been imaging since the last day of school months earlier.

"Admit it", he whispered against her mouth, setting her down. "You missed me".

"Nah", she said with a straight face.

She had missed him like hell.

"Shawshank!" another shriek echoed across the quadrangle and Beca rolled her eyes. "Get that Treblemaker out of your mouth!"

Fat Amy was back.

"Hi Amy, how was your summer?" Jesse asked pleasantly as the Australian barrelled towards them, grinning.

"So clearly I've interrupted this", Fat Amy announced. "Beca is the Bellas house free?"

"I can't believe you guys got yourself a house", Jesse chuckled and Beca frowned slightly.

"Aca believe it nerd, we won that shit".

"Anyway I'm catching up with all of my boyfriends-"

Beca almost shuddered. "Go ahead- make good choices".

(She'd be burning those sheets.)

"Cool. Bye Shawshank!"

And Fat Amy almost skipped away, grinning cheerily.

"Use protection!" she added as an afterthought, and Beca rolled her eyes heavenwards, making Jesse chuckle.

* * *

"What are we watching weirdo?" Beca greeted him, as he opened the door to the Treblehouse.

"Welcome to my humble abode", he replied. "Well at least until everyone else arrives". He led her up the stairs to the room that he and Benji would be sharing, swinging open the door. It smelt like popcorn and Jesse, and there was no Star Wars memorabilia on the walls as of yet. Beca could live with that, she reasoned. She could probably even live with the memorabilia, because Benji was a good guy and one of the Trebles that she liked.

She plopped down on the bed, wiggling a little to make herself comfortable (Jesse grinned, because she too was doing what she had laughed at him for, all those months ago). Pulling the laptop onto the bed, he turned to her, Beca waiting expectantly.

"St Elmo's Fire", Jesse said, holding up a DVD case. "1985, directed by Joel Schumacher. Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham. A prominent Brat Pack film- you like the Brat Pack, Bec".

After the finals the year before, Jesse had forced Beca into watching The Breakfast Club with him, and he was amazed when she shed tears (hiding her face from him, but he saw those shiny eyes. He saw the emotion). Apparently that little alcohol filled birdie that had left him two a.m voicemails during spring break ("I watched The Breakfast Club and I cried, I fucking cried like a little girl and what have you done to me? I miss you Swanson and you're not even here for me to tell you that") had been telling the truth.

They'd spoken, in some way, shape or form, every day of the summer. Whether it was through text, Skype or on the phone, they'd made contact every day for the three months they were apart. While Beca spent her days working at the godamm movie theatre (which Jesse had found so funny he had laughed until he gagged, and Beca had glared at him through the webcam of her laptop and told him that karma was a bitch) and three months was a long time for the movie hating girl to spend in the movie theatre.

The two had talked about everything together- from Beca's parents' divorce (which maybe wasn't as painful as watching The Breakfast Club) to Jesse's whole extended family (they came to stay with him in New York for the fourth of July, and a cousin or five had popped up behind Jesse on the webcam). They'd spoken about friends (Beca had shamefully admitted to him that she was the girl with not a lot of girl friends, but she had the Bellas, which was kinda cool) and past relationships (where Jesse admitted that while he had dated, he had never had a real girlfriend- not even with his juice pouches and Rocky) and Beca had told him that while she had had boyfriends, she'd never gone all the way with them.

She had found herself acting differently. Subtle differences that she hadn't even realised had happened. She wasn't as heavy with her eyeliner as usual. Her replies weren't as sharp. She found herself smiling more.

"Let's do this", she said and Jesse pulled the bowl of popcorn closer, Beca nestling into the crook of his arm.


	2. Chapter 2

They had made out a few times, but only initiated by her, and while he wasn't holding back, he wasn't pushing forward either. She liked the respect, but she wouldn't have minded if he sped things up a little.

A lot of it was unchartered territory for her. Not spending the night at a guy's house, because she had done that before. But going all the way with someone, she had never done that before.

But what was new was the feeling that pulsed through her, every time she was with Jesse. The disgustingly sweet giddiness that filled her with his smile, the warmth in her heart each morning as he greeted her cheerfully over Skype (or the radio station, bearing coffee or a juice pouch with her name on it). That feeling had been there for weeks, months even, but she had only just found a name for it, only in the last couple of weeks. Love. And it was scary and nerve-wracking but ever since she heard the words from Jesse himself, it seemed natural and perfect.

It was an all new sort of feeling, and it felt great.

"Are you okay?" Jesse said in concern, breaking away from Beca's mouth and looking down at her in concern.

She nodded, taking the second to catch her breath. "Totally", she assured him, and he grinned,

His torso was so warm, as she pulled him back down. He smiled against her lips and his arms around her felt amazing. Yep, she thought, that was definitely where she was supposed to be; he was definitely the man she was supposed to be with. When their eyes met again, he gave her that goofy grin that he had given her all too often at the radio station, the one she longed for, and it felt like the warmth of him was seeping through that smile.

It took her a while to realise it, but she saw it so clearly. That clenching feeling in her chest before she took the plunge, the fear that he didn't like her, the fear that the bellas, her girls, would find out. But Jesse loved her and he was not going to leave her, not after all of what they'd gone through, and she knew she was ready.

Her thumb rubbed against his cheek and it made him smile a special kind of smile, the kind a dog would after being told he was a good boy, and all of a sudden she was overwhelmed with the joy that he radiated.

"Bec", he said, pulling back again. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She had never been better, and she nodded accordingly.

Beca bit her bottom lip, but there wasn't really a subtle way to suggest 'hey, let's have sex' and she couldn't really grab his dick (could she? No, not the first time, she reasoned). She didn't want rose petals and scented candles or any of that disgusting stuff (she was Beca effing Mitchell) but still. There was only going to be one first time together. There was a time and place for dick grabbing. Probably.

It took her a full five seconds of doubt, where she asked herself if it was a good idea (and also if he wanted it too) before Jesse responded in kind.

(She thanked every power existence that she didn't have to word it out for him, because initiating sex was one thing but asking for it out loud was something completely different, and even though she was Beca effing Mitchell, she wasn't ready for that). But Jesse completely understood what she meant. He almost growled against his mouth and she had no idea how she ever doubted it. His hands gripped her back; pressing her down against him and making out had never, ever been that good with any other guy.

Was it love? Was that what love was like? Pressed against Jesse the way she was felt more right and more natural than anything in her life so far.

"I love you", she said against his mouth, and kissed him again and again and again, because she had been waiting for three months to do that, and wasn't going to waste another second on anything but him.

"I love you", he managed between kisses, and she couldn't stand the fact that it hadn't started yet.

She shrugged off her flannelette shirt, and pulls off her tank top in a matter of seconds, because she knew that if she stopped and thought about it for more than a second, she wouldn't completely go through it. When she leaned into kiss Jesse again, he chuckled nervously.

It took her full five seconds of doubt, where she asked herself if it was a good idea (and also if he wanted it too) before Jesse responded in kind.

"Can I? I mean, do you want-"

"Jesse, I just climbed on top of you and I'm taking off my clothes. No, I clearly don't want this".

There was a time and a place for eye rolling, and that wasn't it. But that didn't stop her.

His fingers were shaky as he attempted to unclasp her bra, and he chuckled a little. It took him almost a full minute to take it off (it would have been quicker if Beca helped, she realised, but she enjoyed his hands on her and the smile as he fumbled.

His fingers were not ideal for unclasping her bra, and she wanted to laugh, but she didn't think that was the right thing to do. He laughed it off, and it took him a full minute to pull it away from her- it would have been quicker if she helped, but she enjoyed his hands on her and the smile on his face too much to intervene.

"Wow", he said slowly.

His gaze lingered and she fought the urge to cross her arms and leave, anything to escape that stare, but then his eyes were back in hers and she felt a million times better under the warmth of his gaze.

"You're beautiful, Beca. Seriously, you are".

She bit her lip and for the very first time, Jesse kissed her. It was soft and familiar at first, and not so different to the kisses that she had given him, until his hand tentatively reached up to her breast and gently cupped one. Then it became a thousand times better than anything they'd shared before. The only way she felt could describe it was cute. Jesse was adorable, and treated her like a frail dove or something, and while she disagreed with that on principal (she was not a dove, if anything she was a bloodthirsty wolf or something scary, maybe a feral dog), she couldn't help but feel immensely relieved. He made it feel so natural, far from something she was supposed to perform or put up with, but rather a moment that they shared.

* * *

Jesse had claimed not to know what he was doing, but Beca was there to tell him that he did. As he gained confidence he deepened the kiss, and it had never felt more intimate.

"This is nice", she said when he trailed kisses down her jaw line and onto her neck, but really, it was a fucking lot more than just nice.

"I love you", he sighed contently.

"Just... just keep going". It was getting harder and harder to articulate her thoughts, because right at that moment they were running along the lines of 'Jesse don't stop, Jesse I love you, don't stop, Jesse, Jesse, Jesse, Jesse'.

* * *

"No", she panted, pulling away. "Jesse- condom?"

"Huh?"

"Condom", she repeated. "We need-"

"Oh right". And he rolled over, yanking the top drawer out of his bedside table and pulling out a box. "Got some!"

She smirked. "You were hopeful".

"Maybe". And he had the decently to blush as he tore one open. "I've wanted to do this for so long".

"Me too", she admitted, pushing a lock of sweaty hair off her face.

"Me too."

She took the slippery thing from him and tried to unroll it- tried to be sexy and spontaneous- but the stupid thing wouldn't budge.

"Ugh, what the fuck", she muttered.

Jesse chuckled- another fucking chuckle- and took the condom from her (she wanted the touch of his fingers on her, but that would be even better), and picked up another.

He showed her, biting his lip as if he was afraid he too would mess up, and she felt stupid for not knowing how. But it was Jesse she was dealing with, not a sex examiner, and she'd never gotten that far with the guys before him. And she hoped that there wouldn't be any guys after him, either.

She grabbed his head and pulled him in for a kiss, much harder than she intended − he groaned into it, which leaves her wanting him more than ever. She pulled away, keeping her hands on his face, on his scratchy stubble, and stared right into his eyes when she sunk down onto him with his helping hands guiding her hips. That was the only time she'd ever get to see that exact look, she told herself. They might have sex, make love, fuck, whatever you wanna call it, hundreds of times after the first time (in fact, she hoped they will) but she'd never get back the sensations of tonight. Whether that was a bad thing or a good thing, time would tell.

In any case, nothing would ever be the same as the sensation of him filling her for the very first time (she let out a squeak in surprise and he almost threw her off in alarm, not wanting to hurt her), and gazing into his eyes all the way down. He slowly closed them when she paused, and he looked just as overwhelmed as she felt.

A few seconds, that was all she needed, and she swore their bodies were made for each other.

* * *

The two of them lay there, tangled in Jesse's sheets and each other, staring at the ceiling.

"So", Jesse said, and Beca blushed.

"So".

"Um... how was..." Jesse let his voice linger off and Beca blushed deeper.

"I love you", she said, the only thing that seemed remotely fitting. "So anything with you is perfect".

Urgh, where did that come from?!

(And all she had been thinking about since the beginning of summer was riding his dick, so…)

"You were so into me", he said smugly, and she smacked his chest gently, making him laugh.

"Shut up!"

"No, it's cute!" he laughed, a hearty laugh that she always wanted to hear. "I thought about that too".

"You did?" her voice was quiet, and Jesse nodded.

"Yeah! Well, I still do. Beca, I love you. We could do it a million times and it would still be the best".

"A million times, huh?"

He nodded sleepily, and Beca was a goner, she knew it then and there. She was never not going to be crazy about that dude; she was always going to want him. She pulled his warm body over her- Jesse was crazily prepared with the condoms, after all.

They only did it one more time before going to sleep, too exhausted to keep going, but a million times was definitely a lifetime goal.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey hoes I'm home!"

"Walk of shame?" Beca guessed, as Stacie wandered into the house, carrying her shoes. "Hey Stacie, good to see you".

"Just got laid parade". She grinned.

"Oh my God". And she rolled her eyes heavenwards.

"You're one to talk!" Stacie nudged Beca, grinning knowingly. "Fat Amy said you didn't come home last night".

"If you knew what was going on in this house, you wouldn't have come home either", Beca mumbled.

"You smell like sex".

"I need to get to work!" Beca pushed past Stacie, her face flaming.

"Denial!" Stacie laughed, and Beca slammed the door behind her. "D-E-N-I-A-"

"Bye Stacie!" Beca shrieked, Fat Amy and Stacie laughing after her.

* * *

"Hello", Jesse said with a smile, and Beca tried to fight back the smile threatening to creep onto her face, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Hi", she said quietly, stretching up on her toes to kiss him.

(She had been fantasising over that for months. Since spring break for sure, but probably before.)

"Is this a thing now?" Luke interrupted, and Beca looked up almost guiltily. "No sex on the desk", he barked, before closing the door to the station.

"Do it", Beca whispered and Jesse looked at her in surprise. "Let's do it".

(She'd be lying if she hadn't thought about it before. The stupid radio station only had two rules, and she'd already broken one of them.)

* * *

"Welcome back Bellas!" and Fat Amy popped the top off a bottle of Boone's Farm, cheering. "We're back! The Bellas are back!"

"Calm down", Beca said in alarm, as Fat Amy distributed plastic glasses.

"So how was everyone's summer?" Stacie wanted to know. "Anyone want to hear about mine?"

"Oh for the love of God". Beca rolled her eyes. "No one wants to hear about how many guys you've banged".

"As if you and Jesse aren't going at it like rabbits", she laughed. "I can smell the sex on you from here".

Beca's face turned from her usual ivory tones to bright red in under three seconds, and Fat Amy roared.

"You've been Trebleboned!"

"I'm glad that stupid oath went out the window or you'd have been be ripped apart by wolves by now!"

"Shut up, just shut up and drink your wine!" Beca shoved her glass at them. "Drink this!"

"Now that she's getting some she might become a bit nicer", Fat Amy said, nudging Cynthia Rose and the latter shrugged.

"You do you, girl. Or Jesse. You do Jesse, girl".

"Oh my God!"

"Are you having sex on the desk?"

"Oh that is so hot!"

"We are not having sex on the desk! You people are the worst!"

(They were totally going to have sex on the desk.)

"But you're totally doing it. About bloody time, Shawshank!"

"Please, you love us", Stacie said smugly.

"No I don't!"

* * *

The six weeks of college was busy. Busier than she remembered (but she had spent the first month of her freshman year either at the radio station or asleep and ignoring her intro to philosophy classes), but it was okay.

Until aca-initiation night.

"Aca-initiation night! Let's do this shit!" Stacie cheered, coming down the stairs in her sluttiest dress. "This is like the highlight of the year".

"Oh Stacie, keep it in your pants, baby". Beca rolled her eyes, swallowing hard.

"What's up your ass?" she wanted to know.

Beca felt sick and she hadn't even begun drinking yet.

"What's up Shawshank?" Fat Amy wanted to know, as Beca dragged a stool over to reach the medicine cabinet. "Oh, you're preparing for tomorrow. Good idea Flatbutt, everyone should be downing that shit".

"I feel sick". She pulled out a bottle of aspirin, staring at it and wondering how it would go down with a night full of alcohol. "I haven't felt well all day, actually".

"Maybe you're knocked up", Stacie said conversationally, shrugging as Beca tipped two aspirin into her palm. "God knows you and Jesse have been going at it like rabbits".

Fat Amy stared at her. "You're the biggest slut to ever draw breath".

Beca laughed. "Not knocked up Stacie".

She shrugged. "Let's go!"

* * *

"I'm just saying, there is an easier way to do this!" Beca shouted, as Stacie gave her a boost. "Why can't we just walk around?"

"Tradition!" Stacie shouted, laughing.

"Hello Bellas", Donald drawled. "Welcome!"

"Donald", Stacie purred and Jesse advanced towards them, beaming.

"Hello hello!" Jesse wrapped his arms around Beca and Stacie wolf whistled.

"Keep it in your pants", Fat Amy said in disgust, and Beca glared.

"Shut up and piss off".

"Drinks drinks drinks!" Fat Amy turned on her heels, leading the way towards the tables. "Beca, want one?"

"Surprise me". Her eyes widened, as if she was just realising who she was talking to. "No don't surprise me! Boone's Farm, please!"

(If Fat Amy surprised her with alcohol she'd probably wind up dead.)

"It's a surprise!" Fat Amy declared, making Stacie laugh.

* * *

Somehow, during their freshman year, Beca had managed to stay almost sober. She watched as the other Bellas drank them into a stupor, sitting back and observing. She watched as Jesse danced on top of the bleachers, rolling drunk, and chose to stay out of the whole college sing along (why was Barden University so musically inclined?).

But not that year. That year, she was joining in on the festivities. She was going to get as drunk as she could get and party with her Bellas, because she had the pitch pipe.

"We are the kings of campus!" Jesse shrieked, and unlike the year earlier, Beca didn't stop him.

Because unlike the year before, she had drunk just as much as him. Maybe even more.

"Has anyone seen Beca?" Jesse tapped Stacie on the shoulder, briefly interrupting her grinding.

"What?" she said.

"Beca. Have you seen her?"

"I thought she was with you!"

"She's with Fat Amy", Donald called, pointing towards the blonde. "Or she was".

"Oh so she's probably dead". Jesse almost chuckled. "Beca!"

* * *

It took him a solid half an hour to locate the little brunette, and when he did, she was drunk. Very drunk. Drunker than he thought she would be.

"Okay", Jesse laughed, catching Beca as she stumbled towards him, holding her arms out. "I think you've had a bit too much to drink. Let's get you home, and probably get some food into you. Did you eat dinner?"

"Taking care of her, Treblemaker?" Stacie wanted to know and Jesse chuckled.

"I love you", Beca said, smiling cheekily at the boy. "You know that?"

"You're my favourite drunk", Fat Amy announced. "Drunk Beca is a completely different person to sober Beca. She's nicer. Let's keep drunk Beca".

Somehow, drunk Fat Amy was even louder than sober Fat Amy.

Benji laughed as he saw Beca slumped against Jesse. "I'll sleep on the couch".

"Thanks Benj- I have a hunch that Beca's gonna regret everything in the morning". He chuckled a little and Benji laughed. "Come on Bec, let's get home".


	4. Chapter 4

Someone was taking a pickaxe to her brain, and she was fairly sure she was going to die.

"Jesus Christ", Beca croaked, barely opening her eyes. "Oh my fucking God. Turn down the sun. Jesse, turn off the sun".

"Good morning sleepy head!" Jesse said cheerily beside her, where he had his laptop resting on his knees. She balled her hand into a fist before smacking him on the shoulder, letting out a groan.

"Don't talk", she instructed, and he reached onto the table to give her the bottle of water. She took a swig before launching herself off the bed and running towards the upstairs bathroom. He heard her gagging and retching and hurling her guts up into the porcelain toilet bowl, wincing at the sound of vomit hitting the water.

He pushed his laptop aside before joining Beca in the bathroom, pulling her loose hair back and scrunching it into a ponytail. He rubbed her back gently as she continued to gag, carefully offering her water.

When the vomiting subsided, she leaned against him, her face pale and clammy.

"Why did you let me drink that much?" she asked, closing her eyes, and he brushed back sticky strands of hair, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her upright.

"You said something about jiggle juice and then I didn't see you for half an hour", he said truthfully. "Fat Amy said something about you feeling sick before the party so she mixed you a drink. She mixed you multiple drinks, actually. Do you remember any of it?"

"Why are you yelling at me? Talk quieter, please".

Jesse laughed. "You're really in a state this morning!"

"I'm fairly sure she mixed me straight fucking vodka". She closed her eyes, resting her head against his chest. "Oh my God, I want to die. Today is the day that I die. Rest in peace Beca, you probably deserved it".

"Isn't that what I'm meant to be putting on your headstone?" he checked with a slight chuckle and she gave him the finger before throwing up again.

"Oh Jesus take the wheel". She put her head on the rim of the toilet, not even caring about the fact that she was willingly laying on the floor of a bathroom belonging solely to boys (gross. She'd have to burn her pants and bleach her face).

"Do you want anything, Beca?"

She answered him by vomiting again, and he almost chuckled, patting her back gently.

* * *

"Can I get you anything, Beca?" Jesse said pleasantly, standing in the doorway of the bathroom, where Beca was still curled up on the tiles. "It's been five hours Bec; I think you can get up now honey. At least move this into the bedroom".

"The sweet release of death", she said pathetically and he nodded.

"Yes dear".

* * *

"So, has Beca moved in or something?" Benji wanted to know, as Jesse spread peanut butter over a slice of toast.

"Sorry man, we should move into the spare room", Jesse said apologetically. "She's not very well, and she's probably better off here than at the Bellas house".

"She's hungover man", Donald interrupted. "She's not sick, she's hungover".

"I think there's more to it". Jesse shrugged, setting the piece of toast on a plate and tossing the knife into the dishwasher.

* * *

"Hey Swanson, where the hell is Beca?" Stacie questioned, marching into the Treblehouse. "She hasn't been home in three days, not since aca-initiation night. Why the fuck are you holding our leader hostage?"

"She's sick", Jesse said in explanation.

"Sick or hungover?" Fat Amy wanted to know. "She's really little, Shawshank can't handle her alcohol".

"Oh she's definitely sick. She might even be dying".

And she was. Beca had barely moved off his bed since Saturday morning, complaining whenever he offered her anything more than water. "Apparently alcohol and Beca don't mix".

"She brushed her teeth with sunglasses on", Benji said helpfully, and Stacie laughed.

The little brunette could hold her alcohol well some days. And some days, not.

"Have you fed her?" Fat Amy said helpfully. "Beca needs food, she gets really, really mad when she's angry. She is the hangriest person I know".

(Jesse had learned that very early on in freshman year, and as a precaution, carried snacks around in his backpack for when they were stuck at the radio station at mealtimes.)

"She won't keep anything down", he almost chuckled. "Friday night really messed her up".

"Where the hell is she? We'll make her feel better".

He was fairly sure those two could only make things worse, but who was he to argue with Stacie and Fat Amy? So he pointed upstairs, and the noise continued.

"Go away", Beca said, her head underneath Jesse's pillow.

"We need you at home, we don't know how to use the stereo", Stacie protested. "And also, Lily will probably burn the house down if you aren't around to stop her".

"Why is it always my job to stop the pyrotechnic?" she complained. "My head hurts and I'm going to barf so get me a bucket and be helpful!" she pushed herself into a sitting position, taking the bucket Fat Amy shoved helpfully at her. She dry retched twice, before laying back down, still clutching the bucket. "False alarm".

"Look, I don't mean to alarm you or anything", Stacie said carefully, "But you're probably really dehydrated and should see a doctor or something. Seriously. It's been three days and you're still hungover? Even your short ass should have all the alcohol out of your system by now. Its concerning".

"Look at you, doctor of the year", Fat Amy said proudly.

"Future lady doctor", Stacie corrected, beaming.

"Can you two please go away?" Beca pleaded. "I just want to sleep, I'm so tired!"

"Your anaemic little ass is probably craving a cheeseburger right now", Fat Amy said helpfully, and Beca sat up, gagging.

"Please get out!"

"Bye Beca!"

"Feel better!"

They exited the room, almost running into Jesse.

"So, she's your problem now", Stacie said cheerfully. "She needs a cheeseburger and to see a doctor. In that order. And send her home because that place is sure as fuck going to burn to the ground without her around to supervise".

"I worry about what goes on in the Bellas house", Jesse said, furrowing his eyebrows together.

"Bye Treble!"


	5. Chapter 5

Benjamin Applebaum didn't handle crying girls well. So when Beca burst through the doors of the Treblehouse, tears streaming down her cheeks, he almost fell off the couch.

"Hey Bec", he said uncertainly, as she threw herself down beside him. She flung her arms around his neck and he awkwardly patted her back, unsure how to react. Beca Mitchell didn't cry, and when she did, she certainly didn't come running to him (she usually ran away from him, that was the kind of relationship they had). She sobbed into his shoulder, and he patted the back of her head, unsure what to do.

"Hey Jesse?" he called uncertainly up the stairs. "Jess! Are you home?"

"No!" Beca whipped her head up so fast she almost gave him a concussion, pulling back from her friend. "Jesse's not here- I can't tell Jesse- not yet- I don't know!"

"Jesse's not here", Donald yelled from the kitchen, sticking his head into the living room. "Well... it looks like you've got this all under control Benjamin. I'm going to the library. Always nice to see you Beca. Take care, guys".

She wept for another few minutes, thoroughly soaking Benji's neck and making him tremendously uncomfortable, before voicing her thoughts.

"I need you to drive me to a pharmacy".

"Are you sick?"

"No". She swallowed hard, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. "But my period is late. I need to buy a pregnancy test".

Benji stared at her with wide eyes, before she stood up and threw his shoes at him.

"Let's go".

The two rode in silence to the pharmacy, Beca choosing to leave Benji in the car while she scurried inside.

There were so many.

Why were they so many?

So after what felt like an eternity, she grabbed the cheapest box and the most expensive box, laying them down on the counter so the pictures wouldn't show. The young woman behind the counter gave her a sympathetic look as she fumbled with her change, before sprinting back out to where Benji was waiting.

"Where are we going now?" he wanted to know, the first words either of them had uttered since her confession.

"Home, I guess. To the Treblehouse". She swallowed hard. "To find out my future".

* * *

She wouldn't let him come upstairs while she peed on the sticks. But the moment her pants were back on and a timer had been set, she invited him into the bathroom, squeezing his hand nervously.

("Did you wash your hands?" "Yes I fucking washed my hands Benji and is this really what matters right now? We're waiting to find out if I've fucked up my future or not".)

"Oh, shit shit shit shit", she mumbled as she glanced nervously at the two pregnancy tests on the bathroom counter. "Fuck- sorry Benji- I know swearing isn't helping. But fuck! I can't be pregnant!"

"You might not be pregnant?" he offered carefully. "Like, um, I thought girls could be- could be late- I mean I don't know too much about... about all of that, but-"

"I know there's dozens of reasons why my period might be late", she continued, ignoring the red flooding to Benji's cheeks (as much fun as it was to watch Benji stutter over women problems, she needed to set him straight). "So I can't be pregnant! Right Benj?"

He squeezed her hand in response, looking down at their feet.

"We need to clean this bathroom", she said after a solid thirty second silence, making Benji jump.

"What?"

"We need to clean the bathroom, because if those sticks are positive this is where I live now". She bit her bottom lip nervously. "Or I could run away!"

"What?"

"I'm going to run away. You and me, we're gonna run away. Away from Jesse and the Bellas and the family who are going to- oh fuck I'm going to have to tell my parents!" she almost wept. "Oh, I want my mum".

"Beca-"

"I want my mum- I need my mum!"

He'd never seen her like that before. The Beca Mitchell that he knew was a badass and she was tough and she didn't cry, not even on the very worst days. She was the strongest person he knew- but even the strongest people needed their mum sometimes.

"It's going to be okay". He squeezed her hand gently.

"How am I gonna tell Jesse?" she almost shrieked. "How am I gonna drop that bomb? Just be like 'oh hey I'm gonna be a mum', how the fuck is that going to go down?"

"Hey!" Benji almost barked. "He wants kids!"

"When he's in his thirties! We are nineteen!"

"So? So it just happened a little earlier than expected! He'll be excited! This is Jesse! Hasn't he been talking about aca-children for like a year now?"

"Don't say that Benji".

"Sorry".

"Don't tell Jesse, about this afternoon".

"I won't", he assured her. "I won't tell anyone".

She flung her arms around him, squeezing him tight. "Thank you Benji".

The timer on her phone interrupted their hug, and they stared at each other, horrified.

"Here we go", she mumbled, letting go of Benji and moving over to the counter. She turned the sticks over, staring, making sure she was reading them correctly.

"So, what does it say?" Benji wanted to know, and she held them out to him.

"Positive", he whispered, and she burst into noisy tears.

"Are you sure?"

"Did you do it right?" he checked, and she stared at him.

"How do you pee on a stick the wrong way? Is there a wrong way to pee on a stick? Because if there is friend be sure to tell me!"

"I don't know!" he snatched up the box, scanning his eyes over the instructions (they were very specific and made him very uncomfortable).

"Beca?"

"What?" she stared down at the sticks in her hand, trying to take it all in. Two pink lines. The giant 'POSITIVE' glowing back at her. How was she supposed to take care of a baby when she could barely take care of herself?

"You're gonna have a baby", he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm going to have a baby", she wailed, running down the hall, throwing herself onto Jesse's bed and crying into the pillow, still holding the two pregnancy tests.

Benji awkwardly sat on the edge of the bed, patting her shoulder.

"What are we gonna do?" Benji wanted to know, as Beca collapsed onto Jesse's bed.

She stared at him, tears glistening in her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. "You aren't the father, you know that right?"

"Of course", Benji said quickly, nodding. "I meant what are you gonna do?"

"I've got to tell Jesse that's what's I've got to do".

"He's going to be really excited", Benji offered in consolation. "Jesse's gonna be thrilled. He wants an aca-baby. With you. He wants an aca-baby with you".

"Yeah but when we're like thirty, not nineteen!" she bawled into the pillow. "We've already had this conversation Benji and its not helping!"

"He'll still be excited!" he protested, still awkwardly patting her back. "He wants aca-children and he's got the aca-girl and his drunken hood night prediction came true, so I guess that's pretty cool. And you're gonna be a great mum Beca, that kid is going to be so smart and talented and very pretty". He blushed. "Its gonna be pretty lucky, with you two as its parents. And me as its favourite uncle. I'm gonna be a really cool uncle. Yeah, I'm totally gonna be the cool uncle".

"You really think he's gonna be excited?"

Benji nodded, trying not to show his hurt when she chose to ignore his favourite uncle comment. "Yep".

"Don't tell him, okay?" she checked.

"I won't", he promised. "Oh God no, I won't tell him. I won't tell anyone. My lips are sealed. No one's gonna find out from me".

"Benji, shut up". She leaned against him and he patted her back gently.

"Do you want me to get you anything?"

"No thank you Benji". She sighed heavily, before lying back down on the pillow and wriggling under the blankets. "I think I'll just hide up here for a while until Jesse gets home... work out how to tell him and all".

"Okay". He nodded carefully. "Well I'll be downstairs then I guess".

"Benj?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you". She looked down at the chipped nail polish on her fingernails. "This baby is gonna be pretty lucky to have you as its favourite uncle".

He beamed, a ridiculous ear to ear smile that Beca had only ever seen once before and in any other situation, she would have laughed.

But she didn't have any energy left to laugh, so she simply put her head back down on Jesse's pillow and closed her eyes.

"Good night Beca", Benji said quietly, closing the door.

* * *

"Hey", Jesse said, pushing open the door of the Treblehouse and setting his backpack down. "Hey Benji".

"You need to talk to Beca", he said immediately.

"Is everything okay?" Jesse said suspiciously. "Benji?"

"You need to talk to Beca", he repeated. "She's asleep in your bed. I need to go to the library".

"Benji-"

"Talk to Beca!" and he scurried out the front door.

"That boy is so weird", he mumbled, chuckling a little. "Bec?"

Opening the door to their bedroom, he found Beca curled in a ball on his bed, in the same position Benji had left her an hour earlier. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was even. He grinned at the peaceful expression on her face- she hadn't been sleeping well since aca-initiation night, and it was clear that she needed the rest.

"Sleep tight sweet girl", he whispered softly, draping the blankets lightly over her. At the touch Beca stirred and Jesse froze, hoping that she'd go back to sleep.

"Hey nerd", she murmured, and it was then that Jesse noticed her red eyes and slightly puffy cheeks.

Beca Mitchell didn't cry. So when she did, there was something really wrong.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he said in concern, plonking himself down beside her. She propped herself up on her elbow so she was facing him, yawning a little.

"How was class?" she said instead.

"What's wrong?" he repeated.

"Nothing".

"Bec, you've been crying. What happened?"

"I've just had a really shitty day-"

"No you haven't, a shitty day doesn't make you cry", he objected (a shitty day made her yell at the people she cared about, but he wasn't about to bring that up). "What's happening? You don't cry Bec, you're not a crier. What's going on?"

"Nothing". She turned away from him, burying herself back under the covers.

"Beca", he said softly, lying down beside her. "Don't shut me out, what's happened?"

He put an arm around her, drawing patterns on her back.

"You know how I've been really sick?" she said suddenly, and Jesse gasped. "Well I asked Benji to take me to the pharmacy today-"

"Oh my God, what is it?"

(Trust Jesse to jump to the worst possible conclusions. Honestly, she could pass him off as a Bella the way he did that.)

"Jesse, I'm having a baby". She swallowed hard, waiting for the explosion.

"Excuse me?" he said calmly.

"Please don't make me repeat it", she mumbled, extracting her balled fist from underneath the blankets (she had to change the sheets, that was disgusting) and showing him the two tests she hadn't let go of. "Ummm... I don't really know how... well, I'm not that... it's positive".

He was silent, taking it all in, and Beca hiccupped.

"Please say something", she whimpered.

"We're going to have a baby?" he said quietly.

"Mmm hmm". She bit her bottom lip hard. "what are we gonna do?"

She didn't know what she wanted to do. She hadn't had the chance to think about it properly, not with Benji and her breakdown.

"what do you want to do?" he checked.

He knew what he wanted. It wasn't what he was expecting, but he wanted to have a baby with her. Granted, he had thought that day would come when they were in their thirties or something, but sometimes life threw curveballs. It was a fucking big curveball, but one he was willing to take on.

It was a choice they had to make together, but it was Beca's body that had to carry that baby.

"What do you want to do?" she countered.

(she hated it when he answered her question with a question, and there she was doing the exact same thing.)

"Hey there little bean!" Jesse said, lifting Beca's shirt up to reveal a flat, ivory tummy. "I'm your daddy! I'm gonna be a daddy!" he pressed a noisy kiss to her pale skin, making her squirm. "We're having a baby! I'm your daddy!"

"Oh my God you're so weird". She rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the grin creeping onto her face. "Are we having a baby?"

"We're gonna have an aca-baby!"

"Shhhhh!"

"You're having my baby! What a lovely way to say how much you love me!"

"Oh my God, stop!"

He didn't stop. Instead of stopping, he did the exact opposite. He streamed the song to the downstairs TV, blasting through the entire house. He whirled her down the stairs, spinning her around and holding her tight, and dipping into one of the most passion filled embraces Beca had ever been in.

"You're having my baby", he whispered, and Bec felt herself falling in love all over again.


	6. Chapter 6

"TRAITOR!" Fat Amy shrieked as Beca wandered into the rehearsal space, wearing Jesse's Treblemaker hoodie. "TRAITOR! YOU'RE SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY!"

(She didn't even know half of it.)

"Amy it's just us", she reminded her.

"Yeah, and you're sleeping with the enemy. Where's your Bellas hoodie, huh?"

"We don't have Bellas hoodies".

"We need Bellas hoodies. You've got the pitch pipe, get onto that". Stacie frowned at her, crossing her long legs in the chair. "What are we doing today? Where the hell is everyone else?"

Beca sat down gingerly on the floor, crossing her legs and refusing to meet their eyes (she needed to get onto ordering some Bellas hoodies, then she could stop taking Jesse's. Although it probably wouldn't stop her all together). "I have to tell you something".

"That sounds serious", Fat Amy said with a frown. "You're handing over the pitch pipe? Because I'll totally get it".

"No". She shook her head.

"You're not dying are you?" Stacie said in concern. "Oh God you're dying. She's dying".

"If you die I get the pitch pipe".

"No I'm not dying- and thank you for your concern Amy".

"I've got your back Shawshank".

"So if you're not dying why are you so serious?" Stacie wanted to know.

She decided to bite the bullet. "I'm pregnant".

And they reacted exactly as she thought they would.

Fat Amy flung her chair across the room shrieking "I'M GONNA KILL A BITCH"

And before Beca could register what was happening, Fat Amy took off.

"Vertically running!" she screeched. "Vertically running! I'm gonna kill a bitch!"

The crazy bitch was going to get her arrested again, Beca could see it happening.

"Amy stop!" she bellowed, taking off after her.

"Well I'm not going to wait here!" Stacie said in disgust as Beca chased Fat Amy out the door. She broke into a jog, following the two of them across campus towards the Treblehouse.

"I'm gonna kill a bitch!" Fat Amy wheezed, doubling over and gripping the doorframe like her life depended on it.

"What the fuck's going on?" Donald wanted to know, marching into the room wearing his bathrobe, a shower cap perched on his head. "I was trying to take a bath!"

"Is there ever a time where you aren't trying to take a bath?" Beca wanted to know.

"Hello", Benji said in confusion, setting down his sandwich. "Hey Beca".

"Hi Benj".

"Swanson!" Fat Amy wheezed, as loud as she possibly could.

Stacie, who had jogged over with ease, took it upon herself to summon the enemy come baby daddy. "Swanson!" she bellowed. "Get your ass down here".

"What the hell is going on?" Jesse complained, coming downstairs, grinning when he saw Beca. "Hey Bec".

"Don't you hey Bec her, you knocked her up!"

"The fuck?" Donald's mouth dropped open and Benji's eyes widened (apparently they were telling people now).

"You got knocked up by the enemy!" Stacie said again, and Beca rolled her eyes heavenwards.

"Yes, I'm pregnant", she muttered. "Are we all caught up now?"

"What the fuck?" Donald repeated. "You're having a baby? How are you having a baby?"

"I thought that was simple biology-"

"We are not discussing how I'm having a baby!"

Donald took a seat at the kitchen table, pulling his bathrobe tighter around him. "I think we need to talk, everybody".

"Oh, fuck", Beca groaned. "Do we have to do this?"

"Someone offer the pregnant lady a chair!" Fat Amy said suddenly and Benji leapt up. "And also me I vertical ran across campus!"

"Do you want a glass of water, Amy?"

"Do we have to do this?" Beca repeated, as Benji shoved her into a chair.

"Yes, we need to do this!" Stacie said indignantly. "What do you think; you can just go around growing a baby without telling anyone?"

"Well, right now it's really just a ball of cells-"

"It's a fucking aca-baby, that's what it is", Stacie cut him off. "Future lady doctor knows what's she's talking about! How many weeks are you?"

"I think five or six", Beca said quietly. "Not very far. You can't tell. Like, you can't see anything".

"Who else knows?" Stacie said, as she shook a bag of Doritos into a bowl. "Like I know we do, but have you told anyone else? Have you even seen a doctor?"

"We haven't told anyone", Jesse confessed. "And- when is your doctor's appointment, Beca?"

"Next Thursday". Beca broke a corn chip in half, staring down at the chipped polish on her fingers. "Next Thursday and then I think the doctor will give me a due date or something like that".

"Oh I hope it's a girl and I hope you call her Bella", Stacie said, her eyes glazing over for a moment before she snapped back to reality. "I can't believe you're having a baby!"

"You and me both", Beca mumbled, picking at her chipped nails.

"When did it happen?" Stacie wanted to know.

"Where did it happen?" Fat Amy asked.

"We aren't talking about that". Beca's face turned redder than they'd ever seen, and Fat Amy chuckled, reaching for the chips.

"Do you think we planned this?" Beca shot her a look. "Because I can guarantee my friend we did not".

"You're excited though, right?"

Jesse looked anxiously at Beca, and the brunette gave a tiny nod, so small that he almost missed it. And he grinned, squeezing Beca's hand.

"We're gonna be parents, Beca".


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you nervous?" Jesse wanted to know, as Beca wiggled beside him.

"No, why would I be nervous?" she retorted sarcastically. "Its just the rest of our lives, right?"

"Or at least the next eighteen years", he agreed, chuckling. "until we ship them off to college. They'll be a Barden legacy, a little Bella or a little Treble".

"Should we find out if it's a boy or a girl?" Beca questioned.

"Isn't it-"

"I didn't mean now". She rolled her eyes. "Should we? I mean we've had enough surprises, haven't we?"

"Look, it doesn't get much more surprising than this". Jesse chuckled slightly. "Let's just hope it isn't twins or something".

"Oh fuck what if its twins?" Beca's eyes widened.

"It's not twins".

"If its twins I'm going to cut your balls off myself", she decided, glaring at him and he shifted over slightly in his chair.

* * *

Beca lay on the table, her shirt up near her breasts, belly exposed, trying not to wiggle.

She was going to be a mother.

She had come around to the idea, but it hadn't felt real until that moment. Until she had freezing cold ultrasound gel squeezed onto her belly, her uterus a blurry blob of black and white on the screen.

She was six weeks and four days pregnant, just over halfway through the first trimester. She had a tiny ball of cells growing inside of her, a tiny ball of cells that was her baby.

The baby hadn't been planned, but it was most definitely loved. Jesse's eyes shone with excitement and his face radiated a kind of love that Beca had never seen before, and she doubted she'd ever see again. He squeezed her hand with excitement as the doctor talked them through what to expect in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy (Beca knew all about the sickness side, and she'd never felt more tired in her life), and what would be coming up.

It was a little bit early to hear the heartbeat, but the flickering little blob on the screen was their baby. It was their baby, and they'd made him or her. Beca was growing a baby inside of her, and it felt real.

* * *

"When should we start telling people?" Beca wanted to know, holding up the photos the nurse had printed for them. They were blurry and she knew what literally nothing was (she'd lost the little blob that was their baby more than once, and that terrified her), but it was their baby nonetheless.

"Let's wait until we're in the safe zone", Jesse suggested. "We've got five weeks until you're in the second trimester, that's when she said most people tell people. Only the Bellas and the Trebles know so far".

"Many, many people probably know", Beca said with a heavy sigh. "Fat Amy has the biggest mouth in the world".

"Yes", Jesse agreed, making Beca chuckle. "Oh God, the whole campus probably knows by now".

"When should we tell our parents?"

Despite her badass reputation, Beca spoke to her mother about everything. And Katherine knew if Beca was avoiding her, there was usually something wrong. She was counting down the days until she got an accusatory phone call, demanding to know what the problem was, and Beca knew that when it happened, she was most likely to end up bawling down the phone.

"We don't have to worry about that for a few weeks", she said, making the executive decision.

"Should we make a grand Swanson gesture?" Jesse checked.

"Absolutely fucking not", Beca said, shaking her head firmly. "I don't do big gestures like that".

"Look, I don't want to say you're wrong or anything, but you serenaded me in front of the entire ICCA committee".

They bantered back and forth as he drove, conversation dancing from topic to topic.

"What are you doing?" Beca said in alarm, as Jesse pulled into the turning lane. "School is that way".

"I know".

They drive in silence until they reached the baby store, Jesse pulling into the car park.

"What are you doing?" Beca said in alarm.

"She's going to need something"

"She?"

"I just have a feeling it's a girl".

Together, they purchased one white onesie, claiming to be newborn size.

"There's no way that she'll fit that, it's so tiny", Beca said, holding it up against her chest. "That wouldn't even fit a doll".

"It's so tiny", Jesse said quietly. "I don't think I realised how small she'd be".

"Still might be a boy", Beca reminded him. "We won't know for weeks and weeks".

"I have a feeling it'll be a girl". He smiled. "And she'll look just like you, only she'll smile more. And she will have a set of lungs that will put Broadway stars to shame, and she'll be a dancer- a dancer that can throw a mean left hook, just like her mother".

Beca laughed. "What if she doesn't want to be a singer or dancer?"

"She can do whatever she wants". Jesse shrugged. "all I know is that she- or he- is gonna be the most awesome baby there ever was. And they're going to grow up into the most awesome kid, and the most awesome adult. And we're gonna rock this parenting gig, you'll see Bec".

Because Beca and Jesse and baby made three.


	8. Chapter 8

"What are you doing?" Fat Amy said loudly and Beca jumped, yanking her shirt back down. "Did you just get caught admiring yourself in the mirror? YOU DID!"

"What's this?" Stacie echoed with a laugh, following Fat Amy into the room and flopping down on Beca's bed.

"I think I'm starting to show", she mumbled, laying down beside Stacie. "I was- I was looking at my belly".

"Aw look at her now", Fat Amy laughed. "Trying to tell people she's a badass but she's just a big ole softy".

"Fuck off Amy". She flipped her the finger and Fat Amy gasped.

"That baby is going to come out screaming expletives", Stacie announced. "I can see it now".

"You won't be seeing anything because you're not invited, I don't want you there, END OF STORY".

"You'll be singing a different tune when you go into labour in our living room and need future lady doctor Aunty Stacie to assist".

"Oh, not even then". She shook her head firmly, sighing.

"What's the matter punchkin?" Stacie wanted to know.

"Jesse and I are trying to work out how to tell our parents that we're going to have a baby", she mumbled. "I've got to call my mum and he's going to call his parents and we're having dinner with my dad and stepmonster, which I'm looking forward to the least".

"He walked out on you, he can't judge".

"And you bet I'll be telling him that".

"Maybe not exactly like that", Fat Amy mumbled. "That probably isn't the best thing to say".

"If he pulls the disappointed father card I sure as shit will be saying that. He only gets to play that card once, and he's already done it".

"When you got arrested?" Stacie checked, and Beca glared.

"Yes obviously when I got arrested Stacie!"

* * *

"Alright", Beca said nervously, fiddling with her phone case. "Alright. Alright".

"Just call her", Jesse said calmly. "What's the worse that can happen? I can almost guarantee she'll have the best reaction. Its best to get that out of the way, and then we'll deal with my parents".

"Why can't we call your parents first?" Beca wanted to know. "It'll be easier to tell them, and then they can tell my mum".

(Hearing that she was pregnant from anyone but Beca would probably kill Katherine, and Beca knew it.)

"Alright, I'm going to do it", she said after a moment, pressing her mother's contact and waiting. "If she doesn't pick up I'm gonna flip a table".

"Hi Beca sweetie", her mother said warmly, and Beca's stomach churned knowing that she wouldn't have that tone for very long.

"Hi Mum", she said lamely. "Ummm..."

"Is everything okay?" she said immediately. "You don't sound yourself".

"Yeah I'm okay".

"And you've been ignoring my calls!" she protested. "I've been trying to talk to you for weeks now. How is everything? How are the Bellas and your classes, and Jesse? How is it being back in Atlanta?"

She'd been putting off telling her mother because she knew the minute she heard her voice she'd burst into tears- she'd done it before. And she wasn't wrong.

"Beca sweetheart", Katherine wheedled as Beca sobbed, "What happened?"

"Oh Bec", Jesse said softly, pulling her closer and she shrugged him away, trying to compose herself. She sputtered and choked and fanned her eyes, her mother waiting patiently on the other end of the phone.

"It's fine, it's fine", Beca choked out. "It's good news, actually. It's good news".

"Beca, are you sure you're alright?" Katherine said in concern. "Sweetheart".

"Yes why wouldn't I be?" she lied.

"Oh honey because I know you better than that- and you've been crying down the phone for the last seven minutes".

"I'm sorry".

"Sweetie, don't be sorry! I just want to know you're alright. Are you? Are you alright?"

"Mmmm hmmm".

"You're an awful liar, Beca Mitchell. Honey, what's happening? Do you want me to come to Atlanta? Do you need me to come to Georgia? Because I will".

"Yeah. I'm alright. I'm alright. And- and you're gonna be a grandmother. I'm pregnant. Mum I'm going to have a baby".

For a moment there was silence and Beca let out a noisy hiccup, leaning into Jesse's side.

"Pregnant?" Katherine repeated. "Beca, are you sure?"

"Yes! Peed on a stick, have blobby photos of my uterus, haven't stopped throwing up in weeks pregnant". She swallowed hard. "I'm sorry".

"Beca", Katherine said softly.

"I'm nineteen and in college and nowhere near prepared or ready to have a baby? Because I'm pretty sure someone said if I didn't go to college I'd bring shame to the family as in 'that Mitchell girl gone got herself knocked up", she looked at Jesse for support and he nodded along (wondering when anyone had ever said that to her, and with a southern accent). "And you're not meant to be a grandmother until I'm thirty something or something like that? And I can barely take care of myself, let alone a baby? And I'm meant to be going to LA only LA is not a place for a baby, is it? I can keep going, I have a shit load of excuses prepared. I wasn't trying to have a baby and yet it happened anyway and people wait years for that to happen to them and-"

"Beca, you're going to have a child", she said softly.

"You're not angry?"

(All of a sudden Katherine heard the five year old nervously confessing she broke a vase, rather than the nineteen year old college sophomore.)

"No, honey", she said. "I'm not angry. Or disappointed. I'm shocked, I definitely didn't expect this, but I'm not angry".

"Mum-"

"Are you happy?" Katherine interrupted. "Is Jesse happy?"

"He's very happy", she said quietly, suddenly shy. "But Mum, I'm scared".

"Of what, Bec?"

"Oh, I don't know, having a full sized human growing inside me? Becoming a mother? I'm not ready to be a mother! I don't know shit about those fancy baby products or anything like that, I don't even know how to buckle up a car seat! And I keep throwing up, when is the barfing going to stop?"

(Not to mention her aching boobs, the stretch marks she was bound to get and the fact that she had to push a person out of her vagina. She had been the fattest baby in the world- thank God for caesarean sections, she had nearly killed her mother- and hadn't had to live with the fact that she travelled through her mother's vaginal canal. She did however have to live with the prospect of pushing a human out of her own vaginal canal.)

Katherine wanted to laugh. "Oh honey".

"And I haven't told Dad yet!"

"Well sweetie, he's the one you'll have to worry about".

"No, he walked out on me, he doesn't get to pull the disappointed father card. He's done that once already, he's done with that".

Jesse furrowed his brow for a moment before laughing. "Oh when you got arrested".

"Shut up Jesse I'm not talking to you right now", she snapped.

"Beca, honey-"

"Can you come to Barden?" she said instead. "Can you move to Barden and Jesse and I and this baby can stay with you because I don't even know where we're gonna live, Mum, we haven't worked that out yet- and I don't know how to take care of a baby! Why are their heads so soft?"

(She was spiralling, and she knew it.)

"You, Beca Mitchell, will", Katherine said firmly. "You always do. I love you".

"I love you too", she mumbled.

"You need to tell your father though", she added as an afterthought. "Sooner rather than later".

"Can't you do it?" Beca said lamely.

Katherine laughed. "Oh sweetie. I told him about your piercings. I told him about your tattoos. I even told him about your grades- the good ones and the bad ones, and the ones you failed on purpose. It takes a smart girl to get a zero, Beca Mitchell. I am not telling him about his daughter's sex life".

"Mum!"

"I love you".

Beca sat her phone down in her lap, staring at Jesse with her puffy eyes.

"Well that went better than expected", Jesse said brightly.

"You know what that means, right? It means dinner with my dad and Sheila is gonna be a total fucking disaster".

* * *

"Now, remember", Beca said, as the two of them turned into her father's street. "If- well, when- he pulls the disappointed father card we are going to pull the 'you walked out on your family and into bed with another woman' card".

"Is that really necessary?"

"Have you met my dad?" she retorted.

He had met her dad twice, very briefly. Once was when he called her to bail Beca out of jail, which had gone down delightfully. And the other was right after Beca threw herself at him at the ICCA finals, where he had witnessed his daughter make a Capella history and make out with the boy she had been turning down all year. Awkward was an understatement to say the least.

"Beca, it's not going to be that bad. You were worried about telling your mum and she was okay!"

"That was weird", Beca agreed. "Not what I saw happening, but that's fine. That's what I'm going to title my first book".

"You're writing a book now?"

"I can write a book".

(That right there was her problem. She took every statement as a challenge. For example, the time Stacie had said "you can't fit in the cupboard under the sink". She'd retorted with "just watch me", and stayed in there for the best part of an hour. She needed to work on it.)

"I wonder what Sheila will make for dinner".

As much as Beca hated to admit it, her stepmother was a fantastic cook and had pandered to Beca's fussy eating habits in a bid to make the teenager like her.

"Hopefully nothing with tomatoes", Jesse said after a moment, and Beca shuddered

* * *

"Hi sweetie!" Sheila said brightly, opening the door. "Come in Beca, nice to see you. Hi Jesse". She pecked a kiss to Beca's cheek, making the brunette flinch a little. "I made lasagne for dinner, your favourite right?"

"Oh, right", Beca said carefully, shrugging her jacket off and tossing it on the banister. "Lasagne".

Jesse winced (the night was not going to go well). "Hi Sheila".

"Hi honey, how are you?"

"Good thank you".

* * *

"So", Beca said, staring at the lasagne in the middle of the table and willing herself not to throw up. "Dad. Ste- Sheila".

"Beca", her father replied. "Jesse".

"Hi sir".

"You can call him Will", Beca reminded him, nudging his foot with her own.

"I think I'll stick with sir", he nodded.

"Is everything okay honey?" Sheila checked. "You look a little pale".

"Well..."

"Spit it out Beca", her father said lightly. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, everything's fine", she nodded, swallowing hard and glaring at the lasagne. "Everything is good and proper".

"Bec-"

"Could someone please remove that lasagne?" she hiccupped, covering her mouth with one hand. "Jesse please".

"On it". He stood up quickly, scooping up the oven tray and carrying it into the kitchen.

"Beca what's going on?" Will said suspiciously, and Beca swallowed hard.

"Well, ummm, I- I mean- I don't-ahhh, mmm...

Jesse sat back beside her, squeezing her hand encouragingly.

"May as well just tell you". She looked down at her hands, sighing heavily. "I'm having a baby- in like six months I'm going to have a baby. You guys are going to have a grandchild and we're going to have a baby and please excuse me for a second sorry". She dropped Jesse's hand, moving very quickly towards the downstairs bathroom. "Sorry!"

Will stared at Jesse in silence until he stood up.

"I've just got to- excuse me for a moment please".

There was silence, as Beca slid back into her seat. "Sorry".

Jesse took his seat beside her, reaching for her hand under the table.

Her eyes darted between her father and stepmother, unsure how to read the room. They hadn't moved since she had left, and the silence was deafening.

"Dad please say something", Beca whispered finally. "Please?"

"You're pregnant?" he checked.

She nodded. "I'm twelve weeks pregnant on Friday. Friday?"

"Thursday", Jesse said quickly. "He or she is due in June".

"How- I mean when- how-"

"Oh, that is a conversation I'm just not going to have", she said firmly, her cheeks turning bright red. "It's happened and I'm pregnant and this wasn't planned but it's not an accident and I don't want to hear anyone say it is". She glared at them. "Understood?"

"You're nineteen", Will said.

"I know".

"You're in college!"

"I am also aware of that!"

"You're nineteen!"

"Again, I'm aware of that".

"You're a child!" he said after a beat. "You're MY child!"

"Hate to break it to you Dad but I stopped being a child the moment that test turned positive". She looked down at her hands.

"Have you told your mother?" Will said suspiciously, and she nodded, unwilling to make eye contact with anyone. "What did she say?"

"It doesn't matter what she said", Sheila said quickly, and Beca bristled.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, you're having a baby, and despite everything, we are going to have a grandchild".

Beca turned to Jesse, her eyes wide. "What is happening right now?"

"Shhhh, let's see how this pans out".

"Its unexpected, but a baby is a blessing", Sheila said firmly, turning to her husband. "A baby is a blessing, right William?"

"Beca-"

"And I think Beca and Jesse will be wonderful parents".

"Thanks, Sheila", Beca said in amusement, biting her lip as she tried not to chuckle. "Thank you".

* * *

"That could not have been any weirder", Beca said, as she and Jesse walked down the path, hand in hand. "Honest to God. What is Sheila's problem? What the fuck was that about? Why weren't they yelling?"

"I think your dad wanted to yell".

"He is a yeller", Beca agreed. "Okay, now we have to call your parents. They were so weird…"

* * *

Beca lay her head on Jesse's pillow, as Jesse sat on the end of the bed, waiting for his parents to answer the phone.

"Hey Dad, its me. Yeah, I'm good, how are you? Is Mum around? I've got something to tell you".

"Good luck", Beca said quietly, pulling the blankets up over herself and yawning heavily.

"Hi Mum, its just me. There's something I wanted to tell you. You probably want to sit down though".

"Oh God", Caroline said in alarm. "Is everything okay?"

"What's going on, Jesse?" Barry wanted to know.

"I'm just gonna come out and say it. Beca's pregnant, we're going to have a baby".

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Hello?" he said after a moment. "Mum? Dad?"

"We're still here", Barry said. "Are you sure? Pregnant?"

"We're sure", Jesse said. "She's just gone twelve weeks, he or she is due in June. It's a huge surprise but Beca and I are happy. We're very happy, actually".

"You're having a baby", Caroline said quietly.

"Look, this wasn't planned", Jesse said quickly. "But its happening. Beca and I are going to have a baby- we're working things out, we're in the process of looking for a place off campus because we can't stay in the Bellas house or the Treblehouse with a baby. Beca had an ultrasound a few days ago, we got to hear the heartbeat and got photos of the little blob. I'll send them to you- we didn't want to announce anything until we knew for sure, and she was in the safe zone. We didn't plan to have a baby but it happened anyway, and I am so in love with that little bean already. I think its going to be a girl".

"Jesse", Barry said gently. "A baby is a huge responsibility".

"I'm not going into this lightly!" he said, almost angrily. "Neither of us are. You've got no idea how long we've talked about this, she's been so worried about telling people. But we're having a baby, and you guys are going to be grandparents, and its exciting".

"I'm going to be a grandma!" Caroline sounded on the verge of tears.

"Or a nanna", Jesse offered. "Granny, even?"

"Jesse how old do you think I am?" she scoffed.

"I'm gonna be Grandpa", Barry said after a moment. "That's what I'm going to be".

Jesse looked down to find Beca sound asleep, one hand resting lightly on the tiny swell of her belly. "We're going to have a baby. And we're so excited. I love her so much".

"It's a her?"

"I think it is… but I'm talking about Beca. That girl is amazing, and I can't wait for you to officially meet her".


	9. Chapter 9

There was a gathering taking place in the Bellas living room. More specifically, there was a Bellas and Trebles gathering taking place in the living room. Beca heard them before she saw them, and it was every kind of concerning. She very nearly turned around and walked back away, but the big ass box clouding her vision told her either way, it was a bad idea.

"What is that?" Cynthia Rose said suspiciously, as Beca tossed the box down.

"Bellas jackets!" Fat Amy cheered. "Now you can stop wearing the enemy's!"

(It wasn't going to stop her.)

"What the fuck is happening in here?" she said, as calmly as possible.

"We're discussing our baby", Benji said cheerfully.

"Who's baby?"

"This is most definitely our baby, what do you think this is?" Donald said loudly.

"Where is Jesse?"

"The baby daddy is on his way", Stacie announced, pulling on her jacket and admiring herself in the mirror above the mantle. "Honestly, this mirror was the best thing we ever bought".

"Totally made that shopping trip worth it", Fat Amy agreed.

"Oh, please Jesus do not start calling him that". She threw herself down on the lounge, pulling a pillow over her head. "I will smother myself, I am not joking. What is happening right now?"

"Family meeting".

"What the fuck kind of fucked up family is this?" she muttered. "Family meeting, are you fucking kidding me?"

"Framily", Benji corrected, and Beca stared at him.

"What the fuck is a framily?" she almost wailed.

"I hope Jesse's bringing dinner, did anyone ask Jesse to bring dinner?"

"How long is this meeting going to take?"

"As long as it takes to pick out a name for our baby", Donald said firmly.

(Beca and Jesse had casually discussed names. And when it became blatantly obvious that they were never going to agree, they decided to drop the subject and approach it again when they found out if they were having a mini Beca or mini Jesse.)

"What is going on?" Jesse said, and Stacie cheered. "And since when have you guys had a Capella jackets?"

"Since Beca got knocked up and ordered us some". Cynthia Rose shrugged. "Did you bring dinner?"

"Was I supposed to bring dinner?"

"We'll send someone out to get dinner", Donald decided. "Framily meeting".

"What the hell does that mean?" he startled, shifting Beca's feet so he could sit down. "What is happening?"

"We're gonna name the baby right here, right now".

"Baby Fat Amy, we've already decided", Fat Amy said loudly. "I will be equally happy with baby Fat Patricia".

"More importantly, where are you going to live?" Stacie said over her. "And we all know I am the favourite aunt, if anything you should be naming the baby after me".

"Can I be the godmother?"

"Where are you going to live?" Donald said suddenly. "I didn't even think about that! Will you be allowed to live on campus with a baby?"

"We could apply for one of the co-ed dorms", Jesse said, patting Beca's leg gently. "Having Beca's dad and step mum here would be a huge help with that- or we could live off campus. Don't know how we could afford to live off campus, but we'll work something out. It's a work in progress at the moment. We have ages to work that out".

"On that note, my dad has summoned us for dinner next week". Beca rolled her eyes heavenwards. "And I'm sure its going to be brilliant, considering how well the last dinner we had with them went".

"In their defence-"

"Do not defend them!" Beca almost barked. "We are not defending the stepmonster!"

"She took it a lot better than we thought she would, you have to give her that!" Jesse protested.

"She's probably been waiting for something like this to happen, 'that Mitchell girl gone got herself knocked up'-"

"That's the second time you've said that, should I be worried?" Stacie said eagerly and Beca pulled a pillow over her face.

"Can we get some dinner happening?"

"Bring out the snacks!"

Twelve months ago, Beca would have confidently bet her right leg and said that the Bellas and the Trebles would never be hanging out together. Only right then and there, it felt kind of right. They were a weird group- the social outcasts of the school, the a Capella kids- only they seemed to fit.

* * *

"Okay", Beca said firmly, as they set off towards her father's house, tugging her coat around her tight. "if my father starts yelling, we can play the 'you walked out on your family and into bed with another woman' card. We still have that one to play".

"This is really causing you grief, isn't it?" Jesse said, almost in amusement.

"I frickin' hate dinner with my father", she grumbled. "We never have anything to talk about because he left when I was just a kid and I only saw him for like two weeks of the year under duress, and now we have something to talk about only that something I'm pretty sure is making me the family disappointment-"

"Beca!"

"Look, they won't say it to my face, but I know they're saying it", she grumbled.

The two of them walked silently, hand in hand, and they'd almost reached Beca's father's house when Jesse spoke.

"What about Molly?"

"Huh?" Beca startled.

"Molly", Jesse repeated. "For a girl. I'm sure it's a girl".

"Molly", she said slowly. "Do you want a girl?"

"I'd be happy either way", he said honestly. "as long as the baby is healthy. I just have a hunch it's a girl".

"Molly", Beca said again. "I like it… but I don't love it".

"I'll keep thinking", Jesse decided.

* * *

Dinner was not what Beca expected. Her stepmother roasted a chicken, made gravy and cooked all the vegetables Beca ate (and the ones she didn't, because she was a notoriously fussy eater). But it wasn't dinner that surprised them.

"What the fuck was that?" Beca almost shrieked, as Sheila closed the door behind them. "what the actual fuck was that?"

"They want to get us an apartment", Jesse said, his voice quiet. "They want to help us get an apartment, Bec".

"Why? Why are they doing this?" Beca was almost hyperventilating. "We can't afford an apartment in Atlanta! I don't care how close to school it is, we can't afford it! And we can't keep living off them- I am definitely not moving into my dad's place, not with a baby. I still think we should apply for one of the co-ed dorms, and see how that goes-"

"Beca, we'd have our own place!" Jesse said, finding it hard to downplay his excitement. "We'd have our own place and we can have our own room for the baby and all the baby's stuff and we won't have the Bellas or the Trebles barging in at every moment of the day-"

"You know that's just untrue".

"Okay, Fat Amy will find a way. How does she always find a way?" he laughed a little. "But Beca, imagine the freedom we would have!"

"This is actually fucking amazing", she admitted quietly. "Don't' tell my dad I said that".

"Oh I'd never, I know Beca Mitchell has too much pride for that". He laughed. "We're gonna have our own place, Bec. And the money will work itself out, we'll find a way to manage".

She let out a squeal as he twirled her around, her breath frosting in the cold night air. "We're gonna have our own place!"

* * *

"How am I gonna break it to the Bellas that I'm moving out?" Beca said suddenly, pausing by the letterbox.

He stopped. "maybe you should have held onto the Bellas jackets for a little while longer".

She smacked his chest, laughing. "Goodnight Jess".

"Goodnight baby mama". And he pulled her closer for a kiss, ignoring the girls in the window.

* * *

"What do you think about Molly?" Beca said, and Fat Amy propped herself up on one elbow.

"its no Fat Amy", she complained. "Or Fat Patricia. But I guess it's alright".


	10. Chapter 10

The next night, Beca had a bleed.

Her doctor had said that spotting was normal, so when she got up to pee, she didn't think too much of it. It was normal, her doctor had said.

But then it got worse, and Beca worried.

She'd been told that if she had any worries or concerns, to go to the hospital. And she had both of them.

"Jesse". Beca smacked his shoulder. "Get up. Get up, we need to go to the hospital".

"Hmmm?"

"I'm bleeding".

His eyes flew open. "What does that mean?" he said in a strangled voice, kicking the blanket aside and reaching for his well-worn sweatpants. "Should we go to the hospital?"

"I thinks so". Her voice was quiet, and her face was pale. "I- I'm scared, Jess".

"It'll be okay Bec", he said quietly.

She crawled out of bed, shoving her feet into her well worn boots, padding after Jesse.

"What's going on?" Benji wanted to know, from where he was sprawled out on the landing couch.

"We're going to the hospital".

"Can I come?"

"I'd rather you didn't".

But Benji was already wearing shoes and following them down to the car, so they didn't stop him. He crawled into the backseat, and Jesse helped Beca into the passenger side.

"So what's going on?" he wanted to know.

"Beca's bleeding", Jesse said softly, and Benji's face turned ghost white before crumpling.

"What?"

"Everything is gonna be fine", Jesse said, swallowing hard to stop his voice from shaking. "And this baby is gonna think its hilarious in like five or so years for scaring us".

"Yeah, the baby is half Beca, it'll be a bit of a jerk like that", Benji agreed.

"What?" she glared at him in the rear view mirror.

"You shot a confetti canon through the window and scared me so much I broke three plates".

"I pulled you out of a box".

"It's not about me, it's about my godchild".

"Did we actually agree to that?"

"I didn't".

"Yeah neither did I".

"What other options do you have? Fat Amy?"

"Benji, you can be godfather".

* * *

"Oh wow", Beca said breathlessly, as she stared at the screen. "It's a little person!"

"They've got a very strong heartbeat", the doctor commented. "Bleeding is completely normal- but its always good to get things checked out, especially for first time parents".

"So basically we were being dramatic", Beca deadpanned and Jesse laughed.

"Do you want to know what you're having?" the doctor said, and Beca and Jesse exchanged a glance.

"I want it to be a surprise", Jesse mumbled. "Like I want to find out with everyone".

"I want to find out with everyone as well", Beca nodded. "Could you- could you write it down for us? So we can organise something for everyone to see? Our family- well, they aren't family exactly-"

"I agree". Jesse nodded firmly.

"I'll write it down for you". She smiled at them.

"Everything's fine, Beca", Jesse assured her. "Our baby is okay. We're gonna find out if we're having a little boy or girl, and whatever it is, we're gonna spoil it rotten?"

"Can we have a party?" Benji burst out, making both of them jump. "Like one of those gender parties or whatever they're called?"

"Shit, I completely forgot about him", Beca said guiltily (what kind of parent was she going to be? She'd forgotten about Benji and they were literally in the same room).

"A gender reveal?"

"I'll organise it!" he said brightly. "I'll get a cake and balloons and organise the whole thing, you and Jesse will just have to show up".

"What's the worst that can happen?" Jesse shrugged.

"You remember he literally got himself stuck in a box, right? I didn't imagine it?"

Benji flushed.

"I can write it down for you", the doctor offered. "I can put it in an envelope and you can open it when you're ready".

"Well now I'm gonna want to open it", Beca mumbled, and Benji raised his hand.

"I'll take it!"

Their doctor laughed. "I'll write it down for you, and you can decide what you do with it".

"Thank you", Beca said gratefully. "Everything's okay?"

"You've got a very healthy baby, Miss Mitchell. Everything is going perfectly".

"Thank you", Jesse said softly, squeezing Beca's hand.

* * *

"We want cake and or balloons", Beca said firmly, easing herself into the car. "Understand? And don't go telling everyone else, that'll be an actual shit show".

"Cake and balloons", Benji said confidently. "I've got this".

"And whatever you do, don't tell Fat Amy".

"I've got this".

* * *

The next day, Benji called a meeting of the Trebles and the Bellas.

"So I'm planning Beca and Jesse's gender reveal".

"What the fuck?" Stacie roared.

"Why you?" Fat Amy screamed.

"I can't fucking believe this", Donald griped.

"I can't believe they're trusting you", Fat Amy seethed.

"I know", Benji agreed. "So, cake and balloons. What flavour cake do they want, do you think?"

"Chocolate or you don't know Beca at all", Cynthia Rose and Stacie said together.

"That was weird".

"We've heard that so many times".

"Birthdays aren't all about Beca".

"But they are all about cake".

"Oh my God". Fat Amy's eyes lit up. "I've just had the best idea. Benji. Tell me the gender of the baby. I'll sort it out. Beca and Jesse won't even have to worry about it".

"I feel like they'd exclusively worry if you were in charge of their gender reveal".

Benji had been told not to let Fat Amy do anything. But he knew that her idea would probably be better than cake and balloons, and he was curious as to how things would pan out.

"Okay". He shrugged.

* * *

Two days later, Fat Amy sent Benji a text.

 **Everything is a go. Tell them to meet in the Bellas backyard on Thursday afternoon. Get them white shirts.**

To say he was terrified was an understatement, but he was excited.

"Beca and Jesse are gonna love it", he said, more to reassure himself.

* * *

"So, the party is this afternoon", Benji said, spreading peanut butter over his toast. "We're gonna do it at the Bellas house".

"What time is everyone coming over?" Jesse wanted to know. "I can't believe how quickly you pulled this together Benj. Good job man".

"Thanks. Around four".

"Cake and balloons?" Beca checked.

"Has Benji ever given you reason to doubt him?" Donald said, strolling by in his bathrobe.

"So many times".

"Bellas house at four!" and Benji, carrying his plate, walked out the front door. "Bye!"

"Oh, this isn't gonna end well", Donald called.

* * *

"Happy gender reveal day!" Donald sang, as Beca stepped into the backyard.

She was expcting balloons, or a cake. Maybe even both.

But what she came face to face with was a leaf blower, positioned at the foot of the porch steps.

"What the fuck?" Beca screamed.

"What is that?" Jesse gaped.

"Happy gender reveal!" and Stacie twisted a confetti canon, making both of them jump.

"What the fuck is that?"

"It's a leaf blower".

"Yeah no shit sherlock!" Beca turned to Benji. "You said you were getting balloons. That is a leaf blower. Where are the balloons? Where is the cake? Either or! That is a leaf blower!"

"Benji!" Jesse wailed. "I was rootin' for ya man! What happened?"

"Well Fat Amy had a great idea-"

"You gave the gender of my baby to Fat Amy? And she did this?" Beca wailed. "Oh my God!"

"Everyone gets balloons and a cake! Its boring!"

"What, and getting shot isn't?" she hollered.

"Beca, you're going to get campus security called on us!" Cynthia Rose mumbled.

"Good! They can see the kind of SHIT you people put me through! I am gonna die before I find out what I'm having!"

"Calm your tits", Amy said breezily. "I've got it all worked out".

"How?" Jesse stared. "Its going to blow us up! There is no way this is gonna work".

"That's how were gonna fucking die, that's what that is".

"The baby can hear you".

"Please, that baby is half Beca Mitchell, its going to come out screaming profanities".

"I can't believe you bought a leaf blower! In what world did you think 'that's a good idea Beca would love it'?" Beca complained. "Honest to God-"

"Honest to God, this is a great idea!" Fat Amy assured them. "I've thought this through!"

"Well I don't see how that's possible".

"Go and get changed into clothes appropriate for pictures and I'll explain".

"You seem awfully confident", Stacie noted.

"Yeah this isn't gonna work", Donald announced.

"It is! Just watch! And when it does work, I'm gonna say I told you so".

"Well I can't wait for that", Benji mumbled. "They wanted balloons. Maybe a cake. Instead, we have a leaf blower. That baby is gonna need all kinds of therapy".

"I am the least of that baby's problems".

"You are all of my problems", Beca seethed, marching inside.

"There's an outfit on your bed!"

"Jesse, your clothes are on the upstairs couch".

* * *

"If we leave right now, I will buy us literally all the ice cream we can eat", Beca said, meeting Jesse on the stairs.

"Are you bribing me?"

"I want it known that I am not above bribery. That's how I got Lily away from the stove yesterday".

"Don't you want to know if we're having a boy or a girl?"

"I'd rather go back to the hospital and find out that way. It'd be safer, have you seen the contraption they've set up out there?"

"It's a Fat Amy special".

"I'm going to kill Benji".

"If he thinks he's becoming our kid's godfather after this he is sadly mistaken".

"We should flee the country immediately".

"To live with the mole people".

Beca smiled at him.

* * *

"This is literally the worst thing you've ever done".

"Big call!"

"Absolutely not".

"Don't speak too soon", Stacie drawled. "Now, how does this thing work".

"I'm gonna give Jesse the button", Fat Amy said confidently, "And I'm going to stand back with the camera".

"Beca, do you want to press the button?"

"Oh I'd love nothing more than to blow us all up". She rolled her eyes.

"One of these days you're gonna get your eyes stuck", Donald said.

"I can't believe we're gonna die before we find out if we're having a boy or girl", Beca grumbled. "Honestly Benji, what the fuck were you thinking?"

"When have I ever let you down?"

"Oh, all the time".

"Do you really want her to answer that?"

"Constantly. You're very unreliable".

"Alright team, lets do this!" Donald enthused. "Jesse, here's the button?"

"Wait, who knows?" Jesse said suspiciously. "Are we the only ones who don't know if Beca's having a boy or girl?"

"No, only Benji knows!" Fat Amy said hastily.

"And it's killing me! Press the button!"

"Alright team, this is how we die". Beca braced herself, leaning against Jesse. "Do it. I've accepted my fate".

"Don't be like this Beca".

"It's a fucking bazooka!"

"It is a leaf blower, Christ enough with the dramatics!"

"Everyone brace yourself!"

"So I just press the button?" Jesse checked. "And you're sure we won't all blow up?"

"Would I blow us up?" Fat Amy scoffed.

"Intentionally? Probably not. By accident? Absolutely".

"Stop being so dramatic and press the button!" Benji was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Three!" Fat Amy chanted. "Two! One!"

Jesse, wincing, pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

"What the fuckenheimer", Beca murmured, as a ripple of confused noise went through their group of friends. "Fat Amy! I thought you said something was supposed to happen!"

"What the hell-" Fat Amy's eyes followed the lead to the power point. "Oh shit, my bad! I forgot to turn it on".

"You FORGOT to TURN IT ON?" Beca's voice rose to the pitch only dogs could hear, and Fat Amy held up her hands. "I can't believe you; you're fucking ridiculous!"

"Sorry!" she scurried towards the plug, before hurrying back behind the camera. "Round two! Three! Two! One!"

Jesse pressed the button again and clutched Beca tight as the leaf blower began to whir.

"Oh my God!" Benji wailed, as hot pink powder flew out of it, covering Beca and Jesse and making Donald sneeze.

"It's a girl!"

"It's a girl!"

"Baby girl!"

Jesse lifted Beca into the air, whirling her around. "We're having a girl!" he whooped. "I knew it!"

"We're having a girl!" Beca said, her eyes filling with tears. "A girl!"

"A mini Bella!"

"I can't believe you're having a girl!"

"We're having a girl!"

"A baby Bella!"

"Congratulations!"

Jesse lifted up Beca's shirt and she smacked him away, laughing. "We're having a girl!"

"We didn't die!" she agreed.

"You're always doubting me!" Fat Amy snapped.

"It's not like you've ever given her any reason to doubt you", Cynthia Rose snorted.

"Right?" she said emphatically.

"Thank you for not killing us all Amy", Jesse said, wrapping his arms around Beca and blowing the chalk dust out of her hair. "Although when we said cake and balloons, it's because we wanted cake and balloons".

"Yeah, where the hell is the cake?"

"Oh I have cake, but its not relevant at all".

"Bring out the cake!"

Beca turned to Jesse, frowning a little under her coating of pink chalk. "So we suffered through this even though they had a cake?"

"The cake is irrelevant", Cynthia Rose said.

"Is this just a cake you had on hand?"

"Yes".

Fat Amy carried the cake out, Benji following with the knife and a pile of plates.

"How did you not see the cake?"

"Maybe I need my eyes checked", Beca mumbled, and Fat Amy offered Jesse the knife.

"So now that we know we're gonna have a niece, can we talk names?"

"No". Jesse shook his head, sinking the knife into the cake. "We are not discussing names".

"I am so happy for you guys", Fat Amy said, holding up her fork and accepting the plate Jesse was giving Beca. "And here's to baby Fat Amy!"

"Oh, we definitely aren't naming her Amy", Jesse said firmly.

"Absolutely not".

"So when are we having another party?"

"She needs a baby shower", Stacie said, and Cynthia Rose scrunched up her nose.

"That's some white people shit right there".

"We'll have cake".

"I'll be there".

"I'm not having a baby shower".

"You definitely are".

"And when the baby is born, we'll have a party".

"Not necessary".

"Look, is this baby a Bella or what? The Bellas love a party!"

"And she's half Treble, the Trebles throw an even better party than the Bellas".

"I'm so glad you guys broke the oath".

Stacie chortled. "You threw that oath out the fucking window!"

Beca blushed, stabbing her piece of cake with the fork. "So I guess we're having a girl".


End file.
